Many of the current recovery and rescue devices are not compact and portable. For instance, the devices are often affixed to vehicles and include supporting equipment housed within the vehicle (e.g. sensors, compressed gas tanks, etc.). Often, the rescue and recovery devices are configured to provide flotation for the vehicle. Personal vehicles, for example, snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs), can weigh over 500 pounds. Additionally, these devices are often designed to float the driver and/or a rider. The weight of these vehicles and their riders requires a corresponding device that can provide enough buoyancy to float the vehicles and the driver and/or riders. In many circumstances, the devices are large and bulky and must be fixedly mounted onto the vehicle. The size and weight of these devices substantially precludes use as a portable recovery and rescue device.
One example of a mounted recovery and rescue device includes multiple inflatable bladders mounted around a snowmobile. When a water detection device is exposed to water, the inflatable bladders are inflated to float the snowmobile and the riders. One disadvantage of this type of device is that the device is securely coupled to the snowmobile to ensure an even floatation is provided around the snowmobile. If the vehicle was not already so equipped, it would be difficult in an emergency situation to quickly couple such a device to a personal vehicle to effect a rescue. Another disadvantage is the size and weight of the device. The inflatable bladders require gas canisters, multiple means for affixing each inflatable bladder to the snowmobile, and at least one water detection device. Such a recovery device including all of the described components would be difficult to quickly couple to the vehicle or person for use in a rescue. Moreover, inflatable bladders affixed to a vehicle would not aid in recovery of the vehicle or riders from a slide of material, for example, an avalanche.
Another type of recovery and rescue device uses inflatable bladders between two panels to raise immobile objects or an incapacitated person. A disadvantage of this type of device is that it must be placed underneath an object or person to effect flotation. In other words, the device must be moved out to the object or person, then placed underneath, and then inflated. In some circumstances a drowning person panics and it becomes difficult to place any sort of rescue device beneath him. Further, some vehicles are too heavy to place such a device underneath. Additional equipment including a hoist is needed to use the device in such an instance. Moreover, in cold water rescues placing this device beneath a person or a vehicle would be dangerous for the rescuer. Further still, inflatable bladders disposed between panels would likely not aid in recovery of the vehicle or riders from a slide of material, for instance an avalanche or mud slide.
What is needed is an flotation device that overcomes the shortcomings of previous flotation devices. What is further needed is an flotation device that is compact and portable and quickly couplable to a vehicle or person to effect a rescue and/or a recovery of a vehicle.